Joe Morales had been working on a new penalty-kick strategy and was simply waiting for his chance to deploy it.

The St. Mary’s junior was prepared when that moment arrived Thursday in double overtime of the Class 3A boys soccer quarterfinal against third-seeded Colorado Academy.

The strategy was successful when Morales drilled a shot to the right corner of the net, sending the No. 6 Pirates to a 2-1 win in a contest that might be recalled just as much for why the penalty kick was awarded in the 99th minute.

“Two years in a row now, I’ve missed going to the left,” Morales said. “In the past couple of weeks, my coach told me to turn it around and maybe try going right. I tried it every day in practice and haven’t missed going right so far.”

Morales also scored the first goal in the final minute of the first half on a set piece when he headed home a corner kick from Evan Niebur. Colorado Academy equaled things on a goal by Drew Crawford in the 67th minute.

Four minutes into the second overtime, officials called the fateful hand ball in the box against Colorado Academy — much to the vexation of the Mustangs (11-5-2).

Mustangs coach J.C. Pritchard was shielded from the play, but Colorado Academy players and assistants concurred that a ball deflected off the arm of a player who wasn’t marking the player with the ball.

“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t have played on and seen a legitimate goal or a shootout,” Pritchard said. “That was an inadvertent hand ball.”

Even Morales, whose Pirates (11-5-2) will play in the semifinals Saturday, empathized with Colorado Academy, saying: “Tough way to lose a game. I feel sorry for those boys.”

Pritchard also lamented a foul call in the waning moments of regulation, just as C.J. Clinkscales scored what appeared to be a go-ahead goal. The coach, however, was able to put in perspective the season turned in by his youthful squad.

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